I prefer making solutions of a certain concentration (mg/ml) to capping. It's much better for me. However, if I dilute some supplement powders in water, given the fact that I usually take up to a month to finish them, I am somewhat concerned about bacterial growth. For instance, if there were some spoures in the supplement powders they wouldn't be able to grow for lack of humidity but, once diluted in water, they would be able to reproduce and might cause some illness.

What would you add a water solution if you wanted to prevent bacterial growth?

I thought about adding ascorbic acid (because most bacteria cannot grow in low PH environments) but, given the fact that it oxidizes rapidly when mixed with water I don't know whether that would be a good idea. What would you do?

Thanks.

Ethanol really is the answer to everything

I thought about making a solution with whiskey, but I fear that it might remotely react with any of whiskey's molecules and rendered useless. I know that's a remote possibility but given the fact that I don't know for sure........

Try vodka.

GSE? What's that?

Okay, thanks, I will look into that, but I will also consider mixing it with vodka or something like that. Should 40% etanol be enough to prevent bacteria development?

By the way, uniquenutrion, do you think that powdered supplements are likely to come with some bacteria spoures in them that, when mixed with water, could be hazardous? Do you have any awareness of this? I'd like to know what you think.

I agree. For instance, I think alcohol cannot kill spores, since these are, in fact, a design that bacteria use in order to survive (in latent state) very harsh conditions. With spores the problem usually isn't the spoure itself (except in the case of infants, in whose intestines some spores can germinate), but giving the spore the good conditions it needs in order to germinate. They require water activity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_activity

Water activity or aw is the energy state of water in a substance. It is defined as the vapor pressure of water divided by that of pure water at the same temperature; therefore, pure distilled water has a water activity of exactly one.

As the temperature increases, aw typically increases, except in some product with crystalline salt or sugar.

Higher aw substances tend to support more microorganisms. Bacteria usually require at least 0.91, and fungi at least 0.7. See fermentation.

Water migrates from areas of high aw to areas of low aw. For example, if honey (aw ≈ 0.6) is exposed to humid air (aw ≈ 0.7) the honey will absorb water from the air.

Thus, in the case of honey, even if it has a high moisture content it has a low (0.5 - 0.7) water activity value, because the sugar it contains binds most of that moisture and therefore that water it's not available for the bacteria.

Therefore, the problem is not that of alcohol killing or not killing those bacteria but of having enough water activity. If vodka for instance has a water activity level of less than 0.7 it will be quite safe, regardless of whether the etanol contained therein does or doesn't kill those bacteria. My guess is that a beverage with a 40% ethanol should have a low water activity, since that would be enough to bind most of that other 60% of water, can anyone confirm this?

I was going to recomend that as well.I keep a bottle of it around the house for various purposes.Also would suggest Colloidial silver of which i am becoming more and more a fan of as time goes on

UN what is the 'isin' u refer to?

Salt or Sugar decrease Aw. That's why jelly beans and sausages dont go bad for a long time.